Ski boot

ABSTRACT

A skiboot with relatively bendable foot and neck portions, with a lug on each portion, a coupling element between the lugs, and two stops to limit the bending movement. Buffers are provided on the stops to damp the relative bending movement at its limits.

United States Patent Hornung 51 Oct. 10, 1972 1 SKI BOOT [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Gerhard Homung, Singen, Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS [731 Assignw Jusms Rick" Tumingen 3,521,385 7/1970 Dalebout ..36/2.5 AL Germany 3,405,463 10/1968 Werner ..36/2.5 AL [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1970 3,529,368 9/1970 Carfield ..36/2.5 AL

[21] Appl. No.: 99,102

Pnmary Exammer-Patr1ck D. Lawson Attorney-Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT Dec. 23, 1969 Germany ..P 19 64 370.0

A skrboot wlth relatively bendable foot and neck portions, with a lug on each portion, a coupling element [52] U5. Cl. ..36/2.5 AL between t ug and two t p to limit the bending [51] Int. Cl. ..A43h 00/00 movement. Buffers are provided on the stops to damp the relative bending movement at its limits.

Field of Search ..36/2.5 R, 2.5 AL

17 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SKI BOOT The present invention relates to skiboots and particularly to a skiboot having anupper of plastics material or of rubber and produced by the injection moulding method, the neck of the leg of the boot being pivotable or bendable relative to the remainder of the upper about a transverse axis located approximately at the level of the ankle.

Skiboots of the above described kind are known. Apart from utilizing the other valuable properties of plastics materials for the manufacture of such boots, plastics materials make the leg of the boot as rigid as possible, so as to provide a safe lateral support for the skier. In order, however, not to hamper the natural movements about the axis made by the ankle needed when skiing, it is necessary to make the neck surrounding the ankle joint pivotable or bendable substantially about the ankle axis, relative to the remainder of the leg of the boot. This is done by articulatedly coupling the neck of the boot to the remainder of the leg of the boot or by a very flexible connection between them.

However, to prevent excessive pivoting of the boot neck and thus excessively straining the ankle joint or the Achilles tendon, eg in the event of a fallforward, it is desirable to limit the range of pivoting of the neck'of the boot relative to the remainder of the upper, and to obtain a damping effect when the limit of pivoting is reached.

According to the present invention there is provided a skiboot wherein the foot and neck portionsof its moulded upper are bendable relative to one another, the bending movement being limited by a coupling element extending between two lugs, one on the foot portion and one on the neck portion.

The bending movement may be limited by two stops, the spacing between which corresponds to the freedom of movement of the ankle joint in bending direction. Since, even when skiing without a fall, the admissible limits of movement of the ankle are not infrequently reached, it is of advantage for the preferably rigid coupling element to not only obtain some damping effect when impinging on the stops but also to reduce the then possibly occurring, undesirable, noise. By forming the attachments of plastics or of rubber, directly moulded onto the upper, these advantages can be realized in a very simple manner. The damping property is thereby controllable within a wide range by appropriate selection of the material of which these lugs are made.

In a preferred embodiment the coupling element has essentially the configuration of a U-shaped stirrup hooked into openings of the moulded-on attachments, to one lug by the joint of its U-limbs and to the other by the angled ends of these limbs. Suitably the pivotal portion of the neck of the boot is adjustable relative to the remainder of the leg of the boot by means of the coupling element. In the above described embodiment of the invention at least one of the moulded-on attachments has for this purpose a plurality of openings disposed one above the other. These openings are suitably formed as elongate holes so that their ends form the stops for the coupling element.

In a different embodiment, the coupling element comprises two pins adapted to be screwed respectively one into each of the moulded-on attachments, the free ends of the pins being mutually displaceable between the stops. In a convenient further development of this embodiment the free, enlarged, ends of the pins slide in a sleeve provided with stops at either end. This sleeve suitably also consists of plastics material.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows diagramatically a-side view of a skiboot having pivoting-limitation according to the invention;

"FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the skiboot of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of a skiboot having aslightly modified embodiment of the"pivoting-limitation illusmoulded neck 2 of the upper. Because of its flexibility this strip 4 imparts to the neck 2 a pivotability relative to the lower-portion l, akin to that of a joint.

Rearwardly of both the lower'portion l and the neck 2 there are directly moulded-on attachments 5 and 6, the lower attachment 5 secured to the lower portion of the upper having a single transverse bore 7, the upper attachment 6 joined to the neck of the boot having several openings 8 lying one above the other and of elongate cross section.

As shown in FIG. 2, a U-shaped stirrup 9, preferably of metal, e.g. spring wire, is provided by way of coupling element between lower portion 1 and neck 2 o the skiboot. The cross member connecting the U-limbs of the stirrup 9 rests in one of the openings 8 of the attachment 6, while the angled ends 9' of the limbs of the stirrup are hooked into the bore 7 at either side of the attachment 5. It may be useful to have the cross section of the openings 8 taper wedge-like at their ends so as to create a frictional and thus damping track for the stirrup when a hard or brittle plastics material is used.

In order to enable the skier to use modern piston type bindings wherein a piston resting against the back of the skiboot and projecting upwardly is provided, it is desirable for the lower attachment 5 to be placed at such a level that it is beyond the reach of the piston, or to provide the attachment 5 with a concave recess into which the piston may enter. A further possibility, however, is illustrated in FIG. 3 where, instead of a single attachment 5 on the heel two attachments 5, 5' are provided side by side and at equal level and room for receiving the piston is left between them. In this embodiment the limbs of the stirrup 9 serving as coupling element are slightly spread apart in the shape of a V and their lower angled ends 9' engage in appropriate bores 7 of the attachments 5'. Since the attachments 5' need only be half as wide as the attachment 5 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the attachments 5' may be so arranged that they do not protrude laterally beyond the longitudinal profile of the skiboot.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 a plu rality of openings in the form of elongate holes are formed in the attachment 6 moulded onto the neck 2 of the boot. These openings 8, arranged one above the other, serve to set the angular position and the limits of pivotal movement the skier finds comfortable. The adjustment thus effected may, in principle, also be obtained in the lower attachment 5. In view of the above described adaptation of attachment to the modern piston bindings, however, it is more convenient to carry out the adjustment, which necessarily requires an attachment of larger dimensions, in the upper attachment 6. Moreover, it is of course possible to accomodate the angled ends 9 of the stirrup limbs in the upper attachment 6. This possibility is more advantageous inasmuch as a simplified adjustment of the range of pivoting results therefrom, without intricate threading of the stirrup 9 into the attachment 5, or removal of the stirrup from the attachment 5. In order, however, also in this position to facilitate insertion of the stirrup 9 into the attachment 5, the latter has a transversely extending expandable slit 10 parallel to the bore 7.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, similarly formed attachments 11, 12 are moulded onto the lower portion 1 and the neck 2 respectively, of the skiboot, these attachments having threads which are also formed by direct moulding. Pins 13, 14 are crewed into the respective threads, the free ends of the pins being provided with enlarged heads 13' and 14 respectively. The pin heads 13' and 14' are slideably disposed, with relatively great play, in a sleeve 15 linking the two pins so that the latter can move towards or away from one another within the sleeve 15 when the neck of the boot pivots relative to the remainder of the leg of the boot. In order to prevent the pin heads 13', 14' escaping from the ends of the sleeve the latter is provided with stops 16, 17 at either end, which stops are formed by hollow nuts adapted to be fitted over the pins and screwed into the ends of the sleeve. The construction of these stops may, however, be of any other form differing from that illustrated. With a metallic sleeve 15 for example, a severe inward crimping of the sleeve ends after insertion of the pin heads 13', 14 occurs. Another possibility is a divided form of sleeve 15.

In a further, not illustrated, form of the embodiment of FIG. 4 the head 13' of one of the pins 13 or 14 is itself shaped like a tube, so that the other pin head, e.g., 14, can be slideably placed therein.

Suitably the sleeve 15 or the above described tubular form of construction of the pin head is also of plastics material so that the shock and noise absorbing properties of such materials may be utilized. If metal is used, the stops 16, 17 may be provided with rubber buffers 16a, 17a to obtain an impact and noise absorbing effect.

- The embodiment of FIG. 5 shows an arrangement lying conceptually between that of FIGS. 1 to 3 and that of FIG. 4. In this embodiment the construction of the lower attachment corresponds to that of FIGS. 1 and 2. The upper attachment 6, however, is not provided with elongate holes but it is in the form of a bridge moulded onto the back surface of the neck 2. The lower and upper faces of this attachment 6 contain threads into which set screws 18 are screwed from below and above respectively. These set screws have plates 19 rotatably connected thereto and serving as stops for thestirrup 9 engaging into the attachment 6. By screwing the set screws 18 more or less deeply into the attachment 6 the limits of pivotal movement of the neck 2 relative to the upper 1 can be gradually adjusted. Furthermore, the central position of forward and backward pivoting can also be selected by further turning of one of the set screws 18.

The shape of the plates 19 is suitably adapted to the configuration of the clearance between the neck 2 of the leg of the boot and the inner side of the hook 6. Square or rectangular plates rotatably crimped to the spherical ends of the set screws 18 are, for example, recommended. In principle a circular disc 19 is also suitable but there is then the risk that where the discs 19 abut the neck 2 or the interior of the attachment 6 the stirrup may too easily be pulled through by deforming the material of the boot, when forces of greater magnitude arise.

The heads 20 of the set scress 18 are suitably serrated so as to facilitate adjustment.

By the arrangement of a rigid coupling element the pivoting limitation of the invention enables the path of pivoting of the neck 2 of the leg of the boot relative to the lower portion 1 of the upper of the skiboot to be limited reliably, and thus prevents injury to the skier caused by excessive bending of the ankle joint. Moulding the attachments supporting the coupling element onto the leg of the skiboot results not only in extremely simple and inexpensive manufacture but also makes possible the efficient absorption of shocks and noise.

I claim:

1. A skiboot comprising in combination:

a. a molded upper;

b. a foot portion of said upper;

c. a neck portion bendable relative to the foot portion about a transverse axis in the vicinity of the ankle of a wearer of the boot;

a first lug molded to said neck portion;

. a second lug molded to said foot portion;

f. a rigid coupling element extending between said lugs . two stop means associated with at least one of said lugs and engageable by said coupling element, effective to permit unrestrained limited relative pivotal movement of said neck portion and said foot portion between forward and rearward positions but preventing pivotal movement beyond said forward and rearward positions.

2. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the coupling element is approximately U-shaped with angled ends to the U, wherein the stops comprise at least one opening in at least one of said lugs, said U-shaped coupling element passing through one opening of said at least one lug.

3. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising a third lug molded to said foot portion level with said second lug, and wherein said coupling element is approximately V-shaped, with angled ends to the V, said angled ends each engaging with one of said second and third lugs.

4. A skiboot according to claim 3, wherein the stops comprise at least one opening in one of said lugs said V- shaped coupling element passing through said opening.

5. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the coupling element includes two pins attached one to each of said lugs, and means limiting relative displacement of said pins.

6. A skiboot according to claim 5 further comprising an enlarged end to each of the two pins, a sleeve forming part of said means limiting relative displacement, and a stop to each end of the sleeve, said enlarged ends of the said two pins being displaceable within said sleeve, whereby their displacement is limited by said stops.

7. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein said stops are adjustable, so that the limits to said relative movement between said neck portion and said foot portion are independently adjustable.

8. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein said first lug is in the form of a bridge both ends of which are secured to said neck portion, and wherein the stops are adjustable set screws.

9. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the lugs are of a rubber or plastics material.

10. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising a concave recess to said second lug adapted to receive the piston of the heel retaining means of a ski binding.

11. A skiboot according to claim 5 further comprising a sleeve-like head portion to one of the pins and a head portion to the other of said two pins which is axially displaceable within said sleeve-like head portion between said two stops.

12. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising rubber attachments to said stops.

13. A skiboot according to claim 12 wherein the rubber attachments define buffers for the coupling element.

14. A skiboot according to claim 4 wherein there are a plurality of elongated openings in said one of said lugs.

15. A skiboot according to claim 6 wherein the sleeve is of a plastics or rubber material.

16. A skiboot according to claim 5 wherein the said two pins are screwed into said lugs, and further comprising threads to said pins, said threads being directly molded.

17. A skiboot according to claim 8 further comprising spherically shaped ends to said set screws, said stops being rotatably crimped onto said spherically shaped ends. 

1. A skiboot comprising in combination: a. a molded upper; b. a foot portion of said upper; c. a neck portion bendable relative to the foot portion about a transverse axis in the vicinity of the ankle of a wearer of the boot; d. a first lug molded to said neck portion; e. a second lug molded to said foot portion; f. a rigid coupling element extending between said lugs g. two stop means associated with at least one of said lugs and engageable by said coupling element, effective to permit unrestrained limited relative pivotal movement of said neck portion and said foot portion between forward and rearward positions but preventing pivotal movement beyond said forward and rearward positions.
 2. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the coupling element is approximately U-shaped with angled ends to the U, wherein the stops comprise at least one opening in at least one of said lugs, said U-shaped coupling element passing through one opening of said at least one lug.
 3. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising a third lug molded to said foot portion level with said second lug, and wherein said coupling element is approximately V-shaped, with angled ends to the V, said angled ends each engaging with one of said second and third lugs.
 4. A skiboot according to claim 3, wherein the stops comprise at least one opening in one of said lugs said V-shaped coupling element passing through said opening.
 5. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the coupling element includes two pins attached one to each of said lugs, and means limiting relative displacement of said pins.
 6. A skiboot according to claim 5 further comprising an enlarged end to each of the two pins, a sleeve forming part of said means limiting relative displacement, and a stop to each end of the sleeve, said enlarged ends of the said two pins being displaceable within said sleeve, whereby their displacement is limited by said stops.
 7. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein said stops are adjustable, so that the limits to said relative movement between said neck portion and said foot portion are independently adjustable.
 8. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein said first lug is in the form of a bridge both ends of which are secured to said neck portion, and wherein the stops are adjustable set screws.
 9. A skiboot according to claim 1 wherein the lugs are of a rubber or plastics material.
 10. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising a concave recess to said second lug adapted to receive the piston of the heel retaining means of a ski binding.
 11. A skiboot according to claim 5 further comprising a sleeve-like head portion to one of the pins and a head portion to the other of said two pins which is axially displaceable within said sleeve-like head portion between said two stops.
 12. A skiboot according to claim 1 further comprising rubber attachments to said stops.
 13. A skiboot according to claim 12 wherein the rubber attachments define buffers for the coupling element.
 14. A skiboot according to claim 4 wherein there are a plurality of elongated openings in said one of said lugs.
 15. A skiboot according to claim 6 wherein the sleeve is of a plastics or rubber material.
 16. A skiboot according to claim 5 wherein the said two pins are screwed into said lugs, and further comprising threads to said pins, said threads being directly molded.
 17. A skiboot according to claim 8 further comprising spherically shaped ends to said set screws, said stops being rotatably crimped onto said spherically shaped ends. 